This invention relates to marine seismic exploration and, more particularly, to an apparatus for terminating an outer hosewall, such as is used in a marine seismic streamer, where such a hosewall is load bearing and flexible.
In conducting a marine seismic survey, a seismic energy source is employed by an exploration vessel to generate a seismic signal, referred to as a seismic pressure wave, which is transmitted through the water layer into the subsurface formations. A portion of the signal is reflected from the subsurface reflecting interfaces back to the water layer where it is received by a seismic streamer being towed behind the exploration vessel. The streamer is comprised of a plurality of sections connected together. Each section has a flexible outer hosewall, made of material such as polyurethane, for housing a plurality of hydrophones which generate electrical signals in response to the received seismic signals. The hydrophones are spread along the length of the streamer sections and are electrically connected through the streamer to seismic recording instruments on board the exploration vessel. Such a marine seismic survey may be typically carried out with the exploration systems of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,870 to W. H. Ruehle and U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,724 to R. G. Zachariadis wherein a seismic energy source and seismic streamer are towed through the water along a line of exploration.